SEPTEMBER REVIEW
23 winners in September has brought us within touching distance of a record number of winners in a year and we have moved past the £4 million domestic prize-money mark for the fourth consecutive season. It also saw a memorable Grade 1 success in Canada, providing the brilliant Kameko with a first top-level winner.
New Century has taken considerable steps forward with each run, leading to Listed success in the Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury in August. That encouraged us to step up to Grade 1 level for the Summer Stakes at Woodbine and his success there, coming from some way off the pace to win in style, has us dreaming on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. It is wonderful to have provided Kameko with a first Grade 1 winner and hopefully his name will be up in lights Stateside in November.
Kalpana looks a top-class filly in the making and followed her facile Listed success at Hamilton in July with an even more impressive win in the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton Park, streaking clear under P J McDonald to score by a wide margin. She has done nothing but improve all season and the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares could be next.
Aragon Castle has made the most of his two trips to Scotland this year, scoring first at Hamilton in July, and then adding a win at Ayr on their Gold Cup day last time, with P J McDonald on board. He is capable of landing a big handicap pot, as his stablemate Spirit Mixer did this month, winning the Watergate Cup at Chester under an excellent ride from Rob Hornby. He has now won his last two and his hat-trick bid could come in the Cesarewitch.
Marcella has faced some tough tasks this season, but she appreciated the drop in class and return to testing conditions at Epsom and duly won in very good style under Oisin Murphy. A talented filly, she is capable of challenging for some black type in the coming months.
Who’s Glen laid down a marker for the longest-winning distance of the season with a 13-length success at Chester, showing a very strong aptitude for the heavy ground. He holds an entry in the Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket, a race we won last year with Alsakib.
Incensed showed her rivals a clean pair of heels with an all-the-way victory at Kempton Park under David Probert, her second win of the season after a maiden success at Carlisle in July. She continues to progress and will head for a valuable fillies’ handicap at Newmarket next. Warda Jamila is also Newmarket-bound on Sun Chariot day, after a last-gasp success at Haydock at the beginning of the month under Callum Hutchinson. She handles cut in the ground and remains competitively-handicapped.
Windcrack has been in fine form in recent weeks, landing a second successive win at Sandown Park with a very game effort from the front under Oisin Murphy. She can continue to improve and could well step back up in trip again. Ghaihaban belatedly got off the mark with a ready success at Redcar in the hands of Jason Watson, making all the running and coping well with the drop back to seven furlongs. A 4lbs rise looks fair and she has more to offer now switching to handicaps.
Winston’s Tipple made it fourth time lucky with a narrow success at Lingfield Park, a deserved success following two placed efforts from his two outings this term. He has since run well in defeat at Epsom and remains on an upward curve. Candyman Stan was another to win at Lingfield Park, making the most of a very good opportunity to shed his maiden tag at the third time of asking by nine lengths under Oisin Murphy. Testing conditions proved his undoing at Newmarket on his latest outing, but he can bounce back from that on a sound surface next time.
For the third year in a row, our number of two-year-old winners on September reached double-figures, headed by New Century’s brilliant win at Woodbine.
Windlord had pushed a very smart prospect close at Sandown Park in July, and there was much to like about the way he went about things when winning by over five lengths at York next time, quickening in fine style in the hands of Oisin Murphy. He ran an excellent race in defeat when third in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at The Curragh on his next start and is a tremendous prospect for the future.
Beaten just a head on debut at Kempton Park in August, Shrimp Shady had no problem in going one better in a valuable novice contest at Windsor under Oisin Murphy and he should make up into a fine middle-distance performer next term. Similar comments apply to Regal Ulixes, who was another to win a valuable class 2 novice contest at the second attempt, with victory in the Haynes, Hanson & Clark at Newbury, a race that has consistently produced some subsequently high-class individuals. That might be it for this year, but he is another to look forward to.
Secret Of Love won a match race at Southwell with the minimum of fuss under P J McDonald, building on a promising debut at Newmarket. There will be tougher tests to come, but she looks sure to progress, as does Music Piece, who went one better than at Ascot on debut when scoring at Haydock under David Probert. Out of a Park Hill runner-up, she is another smart prospect.
Brighton Boy recorded his second win from his last three starts with an authoritative success at York under Oisin Murphy. That success, of a mark of 82, fully entitles him to take his chance in the valuable sales race at Newmarket next time. Qetaifan got off the mark on his third start when justifying odds-on favouritism at Chester for Jason Watson, following two very promising efforts in August. He coped well with the heavy ground and there is plenty more to come.
New Bombay has taken his racing very well during a busy couple of months and took another step forwards when landing a heavy-ground nursery at Epsom under Oisin Murphy. He will continue to acquit himself well in nurseries, as can Ghost Run, who showed an excellent attitude to land a good prize at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting with Oisin on board. Soft ground was likely to blame at Newmarket next time and she can remain competitive.
Sofia The First made it third time lucky with a short-head success at Lingfield Park in the hands of Will Carver. The daughter of New Bay is going the right way and has been given a fair mark to start off in nurseries.